ATLANTA, GEORGIA: It was recently revealed that Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann decided to call it quits after 12 years of marriage. The ‘RHOA’ star and the former NFL player had a whirlwind romance after their first meeting in 2010. The couple tied the knot in late 2011 and had four children while also raising Zolciak’s two daughters from a previous marriage together.
They also built businesses, battled rumored financial woes, and documented their rollercoaster journey in the popular reality show ‘Don’t Be Tardy'. Unfortunately, the pair wanted to go separate ways after 13 years of romance and filed for divorce on April 30. As the very public love story comes to a standstill, here’s a look at their relationship spanning over a decade.
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First meeting and a brief split
Zolciak and Biermann first met in May 2010 at a charity event called Dancing Stars of Atlanta and their encounter was shown on the third season of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta.’ Zolciak made a cheeky comment on her future husband by saying, “I’ve never in my life seen an a** like that. I just had to tell you. Adorable.”
Explaining her remark, Zolciak later said, “But again I didn't really think anything. I just thought, ‘Wow he's got a really cute butt and a million-dollar smile.’ I love big wide smiles. His energy was great, but ‘OK, I'm filming, I'm working, I gotta go’ and that was my mindset.” However, the comment did not go unnoticed as Biermann soon connected with Zolciak and the pair started dating.
Although their romance was initially kept secret, it eventually garnered media attention and began to weigh in on Biermann’s NFL career. Shortly after, he texted Zolciak a breakup message from a pre-season game in Florida.
“Hey, just wanted to let you know it might be in our best interests to go our separate ways,” Biermann reportedly wrote at the time, as per the Daily Mail. When Zolciak asked “Why, what's up,” Biermann only replied with “It just is what it is.” A frustrated Zolciak later recalled thinking, “This is a**hole! Well, f*** him then! I don't need him.” However, both Zolciak and Biermann felt upset after the exchange and the latter send Zolciak flowers with the message “Can we talk?”
Engagement and first child
Nearly a year after their first meeting, Zolciak gave birth to her first child with Biermann, son Kroy Jagger. Just a few days after the announcement, Zolciak revealed she is engaged to the Atlanta Falcons star. “I am happy to announce that YES @biermann71 and I are engaged! I’m on a cloud and so blessed!!” she wrote at the time.
Wedding and reality show
Zolciak and Biermann tied the knot at their Atlanta home on November 11, 2011. The wedding ceremony was documented for Bravo's special, ‘Don't Be Tardy For the Wedding'. On a special day, Biermann tweeted, “Thank u, everyone, for your early congrats and best wishes!!! @Kimzolciak has made me the happiest man alive!!! 11.11.11.” Zolciak retweeted the message and responded with an “I love u.” Biermann also adopted Zolciak’s daughters, Brielle and Ariana, from her previous marriage to Daniel Toce.
At the time, the reality star said, “I don't know if I could love anybody else's children as much as Kroy loves the girls. I just don't know if I have it in me.” Nine months after their wedding, the couple welcomed their second child, son Kash. The duo also welcomed twins, Kane and Kaia, in 2013. Zolciak was advised to freeze her eggs while Biermann reportedly had a vasectomy after their last pregnancy. The family’s life at home was documented for eight seasons in the Bravo reality show, ‘Don’t Be Tardy,’ which aired from 2012 to 2020.
Cheating allegations and financial woes
In 2013, Elizabeth Seward, a model, and former cheerleader told In Touch Weekly that she was in a relationship with Biermann when he started dating Zolciak in 2010. “I want Kim to know about it. The manipulation and the lies,” Seward said at the time. She claimed that Biermann told her “You’re my girlfriend. We’re going to make this work.”
However, Seward was devastated after seeing Biermann and Zolciak with Biermann at Cynthia Baileys’ wedding. Biermann allegedly said “She’s a friend” while talking about Zolciak to Seward. A source later denied the cheating allegations while speaking to the magazine. “‘[Kim] left Housewives because she wanted peace, and now this woman is trying to wreck her happy home life,” they claimed.
“Kroy was never serious about Elizabeth – he was young and single and playing the field,” the insider revealed. “It wasn’t betrayal. It was just the normal thing that happens when someone is dating and finally falls for someone. The other people get left behind, and sometimes they get hurt,” they claimed.
While the cheating controversy concluded, Zolciak and Biermann’s Atlanta mansion faced threats of foreclosure in 2014, Page Six reported. At the time they reportedly owed $10,567.67 but cleared their outstanding debts to secure their home. That same year, Zolciak confessed to having gambling issues during an appearance on her ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ spin-off series. She admitted to losing $250,000 while gambling in the Bahamas and spending $1,240 on scratch-off tickets at a gas station amid a road trip to Florida as Georgia had no casinos.
Vow renewal and stronger romance
In 2017, Zolciak and Biermann renewed their vows surrounded by their six children and other family members. The celebration came two years after Zolciak suffered a stroke and had cardiac surgery. Shortly before the vow renewal, Zolciak even shared a nude photo of Biermann brushing his teeth inside a bathroom. The reality star censored the image using a green scribbler.
Back in 2020, Zolciak called Biermann her “love of life” in a loving post dedicated to the athlete for his 34th birthday, further showcasing that they were stronger than ever. She also called him an “incredible daddy and incredible husband” at the time.
Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's 11th anniversary
Last year, Zolciak and Biermann celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary and opened up about the secret behind their long-lasting marriage during an interview with E! News. “If you're asking for a secret, lots of sex,” Zolciak joked, before adding, “I think one of the biggest secrets is also communication. Choosing to love that person day in and day out, I think it's a choice, and a lot of times people are just so quick to throw in the towel.”
Meanwhile, Biermann spoke about how their lives were the same as any regular marriage despite being filmed for TV. “Whether you're married on camera or a regular person married, I don't think there's any difference,” he said. “And I think when things get tough, people don't want to stay true to their vows and stay true to their partner,” the former NFL player added. “You got to hold true to your promises that you gave that person when you were standing in front of your friends and family,” he further explained.
Foreclosure troubles
In February, Zolciak and Biermann’s Atlanta home officially went into foreclosure, TMZ reported. The news came after the former denied the rumors in November. “My house was not sold for $257,000. If you guys think that I would let my home, that we put millions and millions of dollars [into], go for $257,000, you’re an idiot, OK? For real,” Zolciak said in a video posted on her Instagram story.
A source later told People that Zolciak “is telling everyone” that the foreclosure “is a misunderstanding” and that it is being “sorted out.” “She's not moving,” the insider added. Further reports suggested that theTruist Bank was asked to deal with the foreclosure of the house when the couple defaulted on their $1.65 million mortgage in August 2022.
Another report revealed that the pair owed $1.1 million in unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest to the IRS as they missed payments in 2013, 2017, and 2018, respectively. They were also accused of owing $15,000 in unpaid taxes from 2018 to the state of Georgia.
Separation and divorce
On Monday, May 8, it was revealed that Zolciak had filed for divorce from Biermann on April 30, ending their 12 years of marriage. She reportedly cited the paperwork saying that the marriage is “irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation,” according to TMZ.
Zolciak is asking for joint legal custody of their four children and primary physical custody. She also requested spousal support and asked for her maiden name to be restored legally, the outlet mentioned.